Our planet is now absorbing an average of 0.9 joules of extra energy per second per square metre. The increase in heat is particularly strong in the atmosphere. The proportion of solar heat that isn't reflected back into space is visibly rising. The greenhouse-like conditions on Earth are getting worse despite all the pledges towards the shared 1.5-degree Celsius target. The increase in carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide in the atmosphere is causing a growing energy imbalance on our planet between incoming solar radiation and the radiation reflected back from Earth.

Surprising results

An international study has now calculated for the first time how strongly excess heat energy has been accumulating in the oceans, landmasses and atmosphere since the 1970s. A team led by Gottfried Kirchengast from the University of Graz was responsible for the atmospheric warming component — and their results came as a surprise.

Read more at: derstandard.at